Perspectives, and of course, a goat
by Candyship Battleland
Summary: What else could have happened in the hours leading up to "The Road Trip to Harvard"? A very slightly AU take on the events from the day Luke delivered the chuppah. Totally JavaJunkie.
1. Chapter 1- Lorelai

_**This is my take on the last scenes from "Red Light on the Wedding Night". What was going through Lorelai, Luke, and Rory's minds in the few hours before"The Road Trip to Harvard"?**_

 ** _Three chapters, each from a different character's perspective._** ** _Each chapter recounts the events from the day Luke delivered the chuppah, and a little AU that I wish had happened._**

 ** _The stuff about goats is actually a thing, I read about it and that inspired me to start this fic._**

 ** _Character thoughts are in italics, flashback memories are italics in parentheses :)_**

 ** _Disclaimer- I do own anything, but I sure do wish ASP had let me write LL in the revival._**

 **Chapter 1- Lorelai**

Lorelai sat thoughtful at the kitchen table for a few moments, contemplating the conversation she had just had with Rory. She hoped that she had successfully deflected the whole mess up of her call to Christopher, and what it might mean about her impending marriage to Max. She herself didn't even really know why she had called Chris. It wasn't like she even considered being with Chris again, not really, but he was so familiar and he knew her…. really knew her. But did he? He had always been a go to call when she was feeling insecure and reckless, especially when there was alcohol involved. Was it the history, the shared childhood, heck the shared _child_ …but why did she call him and not…. ? She shoved the end of that question quickly out of her brain. The questions and doubts rolling around in her mind had been whispering to her for weeks, and were now increasing in mental volume as the wedding date approached. She replayed her exchange with Rory over in her head, blocking out the obvious lack of enthusiasm as they discussed her upcoming wedding..

 _(…Don't I seem happy? I guess. Okay then…. )_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his truck outside….surely he wouldn't be here now, after the awkward exchange at the diner yesterday morning, and his subsequent rant in the street during the unveiling of the traffic light. But sure enough, she opened her door to see Luke's giant green truck parked out front. She tilted her head at him curiously as he maneuvered a large carved wooden arch type thing out of the bed of the truck. _What is he doing here? What on earth is that thing?_ Lorelai stepped out onto to the porch and eyed the scene unfolding before her.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Oh, it's a chuppah." Luke replied, giving no other information.

 _What is the world is a_ …..."A what?"

"A chuppah. You stand under it, you and Max. It's for your wedding." He said this as though it was the most normal thing in the world to be pulling an enormous chuppah out of the back of his truck, as if he were delivering a pizza, like Luke Danes would ever eat a pizza.

A realization dawned on her. "Did you _make_ that?"

"Yeah, I had some time, so…here, give me a hand, huh?"

She stepped off the porch and got a first close up look at the detailed carvings as she helped guide the wooden arch the last few inches off the truck and into her yard. " Luke, it's beautiful." she gasped. _This must have taken him forever,_ she thought. The worrisome voices in her head stirred to ask those nagging questions again, but she shoved her thoughts deep in to the back of her mind.

"Yeah, well, I saw a picture in a book. The picture looked better."

"It's got carvings. Birds and flowers." Her widened eyes roamed over the intricate carvings on the posts, stunned at the amount of detail on each swirling post of the chuppah. What had possessed him to do this? For her? For her wedding to Max?

"Yeah, there's also a goat." Luke seemed just the slightest bit proud of this fact, as he gestured to one post she had yet to examine.

Lorelai gasped. " A goat!"

"Yeah, I don't know what it stands for, but it was in the picture, and you like goats, right?"

Lorelai nodded approvingly. "Yeah, goats are good."

"Okay, so there you go." He agreed, and left it at that, although it was obvious he was pleased by her reaction.

One of the voices in her head slipped out the question. "What on earth inspired you to do this?"

" You're getting married. You can't just stand in the hot sun in the middle of a lawn that hasn't been mowed in weeks. I guess he doesn't mow." He frowned as he looked around at her moderately overgrown yard, with a touch of the disdain from the previous day creeping into his voice.

"No, Max isn't a mower." She commented, distracted as she examined her gift. Max was not, in fact, a mower, or particularly handy at all for that matter. To the best of Lorelai's knowledge he didn't even own a toolbox, much less the skills to build such an intricate and beautiful thing. She caught a sigh before it escaped. _Careful Gilmore! You are letting the voices and the questions swirl around again!_

"Okay, you needed something. Here it is. I'll mow it if you want." In typical Luke Danes behavior, here he was, offering to mow her lawn ( _dirty!_ ) after spending countless hours working on the chuppah for her. The night he and Max had met in her foyer flashed into her mind as the demons in her brain compared the two men.

 _(I just left my toolbox from when I was here earlier FIXING things. I do a lot of little things around here for Lorelai)_

 _(Doesn't matter what time. I'm always around.)_

She raked her mind for a response for him- what the hell were they talking about? Mowing? Right, okay. "We got a guy who does that. One of the Pete's from the nursery."

"Big Pete?"

"Little Pete."

"He's the better of the Pete's."

"We've always thought so." A random thought occurred to her. "Hey, aren't chuppahs Jewish?" They both backed slowly form the chuppah, still examining its craftsmanship as they eased their way onto the porch steps.

Luke considered this briefly. "Maybe."

"Is it okay that Max and I aren't Jewish?"

"It's okay by me."

"No, but I mean to stand under it. God won't smite us or anything?" Good God, what was she TALKING about? Lorelai was borderline babbling now, not that Luke would particularly notice since it was her normal behavior. The thought briefly occurred to her that God would surely smite her if he knew about the the fluttering feeling that was rising in her stomach sitting close to this man on her porch that wasn't her fiance. He was just close enough that he could smell the faint scent of sawdust and burgers on him. Their jean clad thighs grazed each other as they sat closer on the steps than they really needed to. _Does Max ever smell like sawdust, sweat and hard work?_ _Stop it!_

Luke continued talking, seeming not to notice the crazy that was swirling just under the surface in her mind that she fought so hard to conceal. "I highly doubt it. Plus God would probably have to get a license from Taylor to do any smiting in Stars Hollow on a weekend, so I'd say you're safe." He paused and then added, "You know, I wasn't putting down Max. He seems like a really good guy." He seemed sincere as he said this. Lorelai could tell when he was being open with him by the way his voice lowered ever so slightly. It was a subtle detail in his personality that most people wouldn't even notice, but Lorelai knew him so well. She picked up on the caring tone in his voice and it snapped her back to face her friend Luke. _Good, this is good. He's a good friend, Max is my future._

She grinned at him. " He is, and you were putting him down."

"Yeah, well, I didn't mean to." His voice was back to the easy warm tone he used with her when it was just the two of them. She loved the deep sound of his voice, even he wasn't as good with words as Max., the things he did say and the husky timbre of his voice made her feel safe and warm, like being wrapped in a pair of warm, strong, flannel clad arms... _Oh shit… MAX!_

Another question slipped out, although she wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer, from him or from inside the mess that was her head. She looked at him cautiously and timidly asked, "Did you mean all those things you said about marriage?"

"What things?"

"You really want me to repeat them to you?" She wasn't letting him off that easy, and they both knew it.

Luke bowed his head sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by his earlier outburst. "No. I mean, I guess, for some people marriage, you know, isn't the worst thing in the world. I mean, it's probably better than being hobbled or something like that."

She pushed him further, needing answers. "And people can evolve together, don't you think?"

"Maybe." He relied thoughtfully, she could tell he wasn't ready to say more. Lorelai gave him time to consider this thought as she babbled on to lighten the conversation. She wasn't sure if she did this on purpose to give him time to think and digest things in his head, but it was part of what gave their friendship its rhythm, and Luke didn't seem to mind her incessant talking.

"Yoko and John Lennon did. They just got closer and closer as the years went by. At the end, they had the same face."

"Yeah, it got a little spooky." She could tell he was still thinking by the far away look in his eyes.

"But cool." _Damn it Luke I'm running out of things to say about John and Yoko you need to say something!_

Finally, he drew a breath and then spoke. "Yeah, they were lucky. I guess if you can find that one person, you know, who's willing to put up with all your crap, and doesn't want to change you or dress you or you know, make you eat French food, then marriage can be all right. But that's only if you find that person." His head dipped slightly as his gaze met hers though his lowered lashes. Lorelai's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met.

"Yeah, if you find that person." Was she dreaming or was there a moment? She suddenly remembered a thousand other moments in an instant. An instant that seemed to last forever.

 _(Please Luke, please, please, please)_

 _(Wow, you look… nice….. really nice)_

 _(You know you always look good)_

 _(Good how?)_

Lorelai was unsure who broke the spell of the moment first, it didn't really matter, it had happened a thousand times before. _This is good, we are just making things right. Luke is happy for me. For us, me… and Max._ She stood up slowly and Luke followed her to stand under the chuppah together.

Unsure of what to say next, Lorelai grasped for her next words."No one has ever made me a chuppah before." she finally got out.

"Well, you only get married once. Theoretically." He smiled at her warmly.

"Yeah, you only get married once."

They stood side by side under this gorgeous creation that Luke had made for her, not speaking as the late morning sun streamed across the yard. Lorelai dropped her arms to her sides, not knowing what to say next. There were too many questions in her head, they were all but shouting at her, demanding answers. She told herself again that it was normal to have these feelings of doubt, it was just pre wedding nerves. _Everything will be okay once I marry Max_ , she thought. But Luke's presence at her side was comforting, reassuring, and she reminded herself that he was her best friend, nothing could change that, not even marrying Max. Without thinking, she moved her hand ever so slightly so that she could grasp his long fingers in hers gently. "Thank you." Her voice was just above a whisper. She may of imagined it, but she thought Luke startled just a bit at the feel of her hand on his. Lorelai stopped breathing, the connection of their hands sending a shockwave through her, and all at once the voices and doubts in her head were stilled.

"I should go." His quiet response sent her reeling back to the night they planned the paint project, behind the counter in the diner, his shoulder up against hers as they crouched down, hiding from Taylor and various other Stars Hollow townspeople who had gathered outside the darkened diner. Her mind locked on the moment, she was sure he had been about to kiss her, but she got spooked and broke the magic by uttering the same words he just said to her. He gently pulled his hand away from hers, and the electricity that passed between their fingers was stilled. Lorelai shook her head nervously and let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Right, of course. So….. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah." Luke looked at her with his head cocked slightly to the side. She couldn't read his face, but he was looking at her strangely. _What? What is going on under that baseball cap? Stop looking at me like that!_

 _(You're pleased that the iceman looked at you like a porterhouse steak.)_

She bowed her head, embarrassed, as Luke rounded the truck and climbed inside. As she watched him pull away, she felt the nagging doubts and uncertainty creeping back up in her head. _Time to put and end to this once and for all_ , she thought. With a renewed sense of determination she darted back inside for her keys, shouted out to Rory that she was going to run out for a minute, and climbed into the jeep.

7777777777

Lorelai burst into the kitchen at the Independence Inn. "He made me a chuppah!" She cried, forgoing any greeting in her moment of need.

A startled Sookie whipped around, still holding the electric mixer she had been using, splattering cake batter all across the kitchen. The kitchen staff expertly moved into action, removing the sputtering appliance from her outstretched hand, simultaneously beginning the systematic cleanup in the wake of hurricane Sookie. Sookie rushed toward Lorelai, slipping on the spilled batter and nearly taking the both of them down to the floor.

"Whoooaaa! Easy there Sook!" Lorelai grabbed her friend to stabilize them both as Sookie's arms flailed wildly.

"I'm ok! OK! Wait, are you ok?" Sookie giggled. "Wowzer, that could've been bad. I mean, not as bad as the time I set set my bangs on fire but definitely worse than the time I knocked and entire batch of peach sauce over onto the…. wait, what's a chuppah?"

"It's an arch, you know, you stand under it when you get married."

"Awwwww…. that's so romantic! Max made you a Chuppah for you to marry him under! That's just the sweetest!" Sookie gushed, clasping a wooden spoon to her chest.

"No, Luke." Lorelai corrected her.

Sookie frowned, not understanding. "Max built you a chuppah to marry Luke under?"

"No Sook, _Luke_ built it. Luke built me a chuppah!" She stood frowning, tapping her fingers on the counter as she waited for Sookie to catch up. She anxiously poured herself a cup of coffee and watched Sookie's face closely as the pieces fell into place.

"OH! Oh, well, that's sweet, right? He wanted to you to have something nice for your wedding." Sookie said unconvincingly. "To Max. For your wedding. Your wedding to Max." She sounded less and less convinced the more she talked it out. "Wait, aren't chuppahs Jewish?"

"Yeah."

"But you and Max aren't Jewish."

"So not the point, Sook!" Lorelai was getting frustrated now. She paused for a moment. "It has a goat on it." She added, a weak smile crossing her face.

"Male or female?"

"What? What difference does that make?"

"Well, I'm remembering this from this groom's cake I made once… male goats are supposed to be a symbol of virility." Sookie waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ummm… I guess it's male? It has horns, I don't know!. I doubt Luke knew that when he carved it, though."

"You like goats, right?" Sookie looked at her quizzically, not sure where this was headed.

"Yeah. I like goats." She stared at her friend pointedly, not believing that was the second time in an hour she had been asked that question. "What on earth would possess him to do something like that?"

Sookie sighed and looked at Lorelai sadly. "Come on Lorelai. You know why."

"No, I don't."

"Lorelai, yes you do. You know. Everybody knows. Babette knows, Miss Patty knows, hell, even Kirk knows, and Kirk is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer, if you know what I mean."

"No, Sookie, I don't. Why don't you tell me this big news that supposedly all of Stars Hollow knows but me." She pouted, stamping her foot slightly, like a spoiled child.

"Aww Honey, everyone knows Luke is crazy about you. He has been for years. Surely you can see it?" Sookie spoke to her friend gently. "It's probably killing him that you are getting married this weekend, but he's Luke, so well….. he built you a chuppah."

Lorelai sighed. She knew of course that there had been some heated tension between her and Luke, but she honestly thought it was mostly in her head. Now her head hurt, she was confused and scared, so she shook her head vehemently and firmed up her resolve. _None of this is real. I love Max, and I'm marrying MAX._

"Well, there may have once been a small thing there… a thinglet, really. But even if there was it is in the past. Luke and I are just friends. I love Max and I'm marrying him this weekend. With Gilbert as my witness."

"Gilbert?"

"The goat, silly." Lorelai grinned over her cup, happy in her resolve that she was doing the right thing.

77777777

She retreated to her office to answer some emails and work through some invoices. Her work was a good distraction from her earlier panic, and questioning voices in her brain seemed to be quieted. The longer she plowed through files and paperwork, the more she was calming down. _This is good_ , she thought. _Just a moment of panic but it's over._ She did not let herself think about Luke, but she did catch herself absently doodling a goat on her desk blotter. _Blecchhh!_ She shoved a pile of mail over the sketch and dove back into her work.

Lorelai felt much better on her way home that evening, having worked late in her frenzy to calm herself. Talking out her problems with Sookie always helped. Work always helped. She was just nervous. Everyone gets nervous before their wedding. At her bachelorette party Emily had gone on and on about how nervous she was before she married Richard. Clearly this was more of the same, what else helped….. coffee? Junk food? Coffee always helped, Red Vines and Pop-tarts helped. She pulled out her cell and made a quick call to Rory, but got the answering machine. She left a message for her daughter to get ready for a movie marathon, and drove into town. She would have to hurry, Doose's was closing soon and she needed movie night supplies.

She parked in the town square and headed towards Doose's to stock up on Red Vines, fully intent on sacking out for the rest of the night with Rory, pizza, and a movie. She couldn't help but noticing Luke's familiar shape through the windows of the diner. He was closing up, wiping down tables and turning off the little lamps he used on the tables during dinner service. He glanced up and spotted her across the street, watching him work. His eyebrows raised slightly as he moved towards the door.

Luke stepped out onto the steps of the darkened diner, a half smile on his face. "Hey, you want to come in? I still have some coffee on…" He gestured toward the counter.

"I… ummm…. yeah sure, of course. I never say no to coffee." She made her way across the street and past him as he held the door for her, flipping the sign on the door to 'CLOSED".

He pushed a large mug across the counter toward her and reached for the coffee pot in one fluid motion. "So, everything ok? You, uh, seemed kind of anxious earlier, and Rory called over here looking for you. She said you had been gone a long time, she was worried."

"Yeah, I was getting caught up on some work at the inn and lost track of time, I called and left her a message a few minutes ago." She placed her hands around the outside of the oversized mug, allowing the heat to warm her fingers that were chilled from the cool night air. Luke reached for a rag and began cleaning the counter, something he did to occupy himself almost to the point of obsession.

"But… you're ok, right?" His voice had a hint of concern as he glanced up and studied her face carefully.

Lorelai nodded, but did not meet his gaze. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ok."

"Why did you make me that chuppah? I mean, I know what you said, but why, Luke?" Her voice had a nervous edge to it as she looked at her cup, uncertainty washed over her face.

"I told you why." His hand stopped wiping the counter, but he didn't look away. He sighed and added softly, "I just like to see you happy."

Butterflies raced in her stomach as she allowed herself to look up at him finally. She may have imagined it, but his eyes seemed to darken as he moved around the end of counter until he stood in front of the stool she was perched on. Without realizing what she was doing, she moved her hands from her coffee to grasp both of his. His strong fingers felt cool after clutching the hot coffee cup, but here it was again. Electricity shot through her as she rose from her spot at the counter, not letting go of his hands. He slowly raised their joined hands as he stepped closer to her. When he dipped his head close enough so she could feel his breath on her lips, he released her fingers and glided his hands to her waist, brushing the warm skin above the waistband of her jeans. When he barely whispered her name she shuddered involuntarily.

"Lorelai…."

"Luke… do you…I mean…."

His lips brushed over hers gently, and she lost herself in the softness of his mouth on hers. The fluttering in her stomach grew into a heat that spread throughout her torso as she leaned in to deepen the kiss. He teased her lower lip with his tongue and she instinctively opened her mouth to receive him. As their tongues tangled desperately together the kiss intensified, and she pressed herself against him, sliding her hand up his chest until her arms were around his neck, feeling his warm strong muscles through the soft flannel shirt he always wore. His hands had begun tracing circles up under the hem of her shirt and hoodie, gliding over her ribcage until his thumbs brushed the undersides of her bra, and a soft moan escaped her lips. His rough hands slid around to her back, grasping her back, then her shoulders and he pulled her closer. Lorelai gasped at the intensity of his touch, until he pulled back suddenly.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He sputtered, stepping away from her quickly.

"What…. no! Oh my God, Luke! _I'm_ sorry! What am I even doing here?" She asked herself more than him. She smoothed her hair nervously and gathered her purse into her hands, her eyes flitting around desperately, trying not to look at him. "I have to go…. I have to…. I have to go!" Lorelai quickly hastened toward the exit, jarred by the sound of the bells as she yanked the door open. She was almost certain she heard him call her name as she raced across the street and climbed quickly into the jeep. She started the engine and gunned it for home.

She parked the jeep under the tree in her yard, leaning back with a sigh. She peered through the windshield at the chuppah, and the carved goat seemed to be staring at her accusingly. She groaned and slumped forward until her head rested on her arms against the steering wheel. _What am I going to do now?_

 _77777777_

Lorelai burst into Rory's room in a rushed frenzy and began opening drawers and her wardrobe, pulling out clothes as Rory jumped up off the bed from the book she was reading.

"Pack!" Lorelai cried breathlessly as she emptied the contents of one of Rory's drawers onto the bed.

"What?" Rory sputtered. She clearly looked confused by Lorelai's manic movements. She had no time to waste on Rory's questions.

"Pack." Lorelai repeated with more determination in her voice.

"What's going on?" Her daughter questioned, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"We are hitting the road." More clothes hit the bed.

"What?" Rory watched in disbelief. Lorelai knew she was on thin ice here. _As long as I keep moving….._

"Pack everything. Traveling light is for girls." Lorelai was on a mission, moving frantically around the room.

"What's going on here? Why are we hitting the road?" Rory was clearly trying to pull information out of her, peppering her with questions she didn't want to answer right now. _Keep moving Gilmore….._

"We haven't taken a road trip in forever and the weather is perfect!" Lorelai said excitedly, her smile sparkling, hopefully enough to convince Rory, who knew her all too well.

"We can't take a road trip. You're getting married this weekend." Rory stated flatly.

"Do you have my blue swimsuit?" Lorelai ignored her questioning as she rifled through her belongings.

Rory raised her voice a little in an attempt to stop the frenzy that was her mother. "Mom, stop!"

"What?"

Lorelai felt the tiniest crack in her resolve. She silently prayed her daughter would read her emotions and just go with it. _Please kid, please please don't make me go there right now….. I can't go there right now or I will break._

Apparently Rory wasn't buying it. She rephrased her interrogation to a more direct question. "Are you and Max getting married?"

Lorelai stopped at this and met her daughter's eyes, her resolve beginning to crumble. "No."

"Why?"

The cracks in her emotions began to spread like a spider's web. Lorelai stood still, shaking her head a little as the tears she had been holding back began to flood her eyes. She nervously met Rory's insistent gaze as she spoke, silently praying her daughter would understand the meaning of her next words.

"Because..." She paused here, not wanting to reveal too much. The taste of Luke was still on her lips, she could still feel his hands on her skin. She couldn't see Max's face when she closed her eyes, only Luke and his stupid, god damn chuppah. _God damn that stupid GOAT!_

"Because…...I didn't want to try on my wedding dress every night."

And with those words, she shattered.

 ** _A/N- this is my first fic so please please please be gentle with me._**

 ** _Next chapter coming soon..._**

 ** _Rory._**


	2. Chapter 2- Rory

_**A/N I do not own the Stars Hollow universe, but if I did Luke and Lorelai would've gotten together sooner!**_

 _ **Chapter 2- Rory**_

Rory eyed her mother as she sat at the table, the mail spread out in front of her as they chatted about school starting. She knew she had to ask her mom about what happened at the bachelor party, but she also knew Lorelai well enough to know not to attack her head on in fear of spooking her mom. That was sure to start a fight. This definitely needed a cool approach, time to practice those investigative journalist skills.

"I got an interesting call today." She said mildly as she sat down across from Lorelai.

"Oh yeah, who?"

"Dad."

Her mom replied to this nonchalantly. Too nonchalantly in Rory's opinion. "Cool. How is he? I..I..I talked to him last night." She stumbled a little over the last bit, which did not escape Rory's attention.

"He mentioned that." _You are so BUSTED Mom!_ Rory thought, but kept her voice calm.

Lorelai's voice was cool, and she didn't look her daughter in the eye. " Yeah, I was about to mention it myself."

"That's quite a coincidence." Rory could hear the judging tone in her own voice, but she didn't care. She needed to hear what could have possibly been going through her mom's crazy mind. _Who calls their ex from their own bachelorette party?_

"Yeah. Did I not mention it last night?" Still no eye contact.

"Huh, no, not to my knowledge." Rory stared at her mom.

"I could've sworn I did." Was she really going to commit to this cool nonchalant crap? _Time to get more direct, Gilmore! Christiane Amanpour would know just what to say here!_

Rory went in for the kill. "Why'd you call him?" she asked accusingly.

"Oh, just to check in." Her mom's tone was light. Too light, in Rory's opinion.

Rory continued her interrogation, not willing to let up on the details. "At your bachelorette party?"

"Seemed as good a time as any."

"To catch up on calls?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Seems like a weird time."

Lorelai's eyes narrowed. "Did he call just to fink on me?"

"No. He wanted to see what's up with you. He thought it was weird too."

"Heaven forbid I ever use the phone again." Her mom rolled her eyes dramatically. Rory could tell she was trying to turn the tables on her, but she persisted.

"Was it when you told us you were calling Max?" She asked pointedly, not willing to let her mom off the hook just yet.

"Somewhere around there."

Now Rory could tell her mom was lying. "Why would you tell us you were calling Max?"

Rory listened as her mother did the same thing she always did when she was caught in a lie, she babbled. "Honey, someday when you're a little older you will be introduced to something that is extremely seductive but fickle. A fair-weather friend who seems benign but packs a wallop like a donkey kick, and that is the Long Island iced tea. The Long Island iced tea makes you do things that you normally wouldn't do, like lifting your skirt in public or calling someone you normally wouldn't call at really weird times."

"I'm not looking forward to meeting the Long Island iced tea." Rory had to admit to herself, the mere thought of it sounded disgusting.

"I'd definitely walk the other way." Lorelai agreed sagely, nodding her head.

"You know, Dad wants you to be happy." Rory suggested cautiously, trying to get her mom back on her side.

"I know."

"And I really want you to be happy." Rory reiterated. She was beginning to think this line of questioning was going nowhere.

"I know, sweetie."

Rory eyed her mom and then asked tentatively, "You are happy about all this, aren't you?"

"Don't I seem happy?" Evasive maneuvers. _Okay Mom, you win this round._

"I guess." Rory decided she was not going to get the answer she was looking for. it wasn't that she wanted to hear one thing or another, but it was so weird for her mom to act this way. They had always shared everything, and lately it seemed like there was this fake Lorelai in the house, acting like everything was perfect, but there was something not quite genuine about her demeanor. It worried Rory but she had run out of ideas.

"Okay then." Her mom's voice had the 'we're done here' tone that she rarely used on Rory, but she had heard her use it on tons of other people like employees or vendors at the inn.

"All right. I'll be in my room if you need me." Rory sighed and retreated to the sanctuary of her books. A few minutes later she heard the sound of a car outside. She was about to peek out the window but then she heard the muffled voice of Luke on the front porch talking to her mom. This was not unusual to Rory, Luke was at their house a lot. He had fixed just about everything in the Crap Shack, from the porch railing the the front steps, even the hot water heater. She turned back to her book for a few minutes, but eventually found she was too distracted by her mom's strange behavior in the past few weeks.

She decided maybe it was time for outside perspective, and Lane would be the perfect voice of reason, as she always was in all areas of Rory's life. She shoved her book into her bookbag, and headed for the front door. The house was quiet so she assumed her mom was upstairs and Luke had left. When she opened the door, her eyes grew wide at the sight in front of her. Her mom and Luke were standing, hand in hand, under what appeared to be an ornate wooden arch. _Where the heck did that come from?_ Rory thought briefly. If any other human had walked onto this scene, they would have thought it was a couple rehearsing for their wedding, . _But this is LUKE_ , Rory thought, _why are they holding hands and WHY ARE THEY LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE THAT?_

Suddenly, Rory felt very uncomfortable, as though she had walked in on an extremely intimate moment between two people who were …. who were…. well she didn't know what they were to each other anymore but she knew she needed to get out of there before they saw her. She gently closed the front door and crept out through the kitchen, slipping through the back door as she made her escape to Kim's Antiques.

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After a few hours of hashing her drama out with Lane, and then a few more hours of rating and classifying all of Lanes new CD's, finally deciding that they were going to need more music storage than the floorboards would hold, Rory felt somewhat more at ease, although she still had some nagging doubts about her mom's motivation behind calling her dad the night before. She did feel a little bad about the third degree she had given Lorelai, so she decided to call her mom to test the waters before she headed home. She borrowed the Kim's phone and dialed the number of the Crap Shack. When the answering machine picked up, she sighed and placed the phone back in it's cradle. She wouldn't be at the inn, she was supposed to be off today, so she thought for a moment about where else she might have gone. She picked up the phone again and dialed the number of their home away from home.

"Luke's" she heard the familiar gruff voice answer.

"Hi Luke it's Rory. Is my mom there right now?"

"Oh, hey Rory, no I haven't seen her since... I mean, she's not here" _Is it just me or does he sound a little off?_

"Since... you were at our house earlier." She stated, not accusingly but letting him know she was on to him.

"Oh. Yeah. I was just dropping something off for Lorelai. I didn't know you were home." _Clearly._

"It's ok- I was studying, I just heard your truck. Ok, well tell her I'm looking for her if you see her? She took off earlier, I thought for just a minute. But she's been gone for a while I was kinda worried."

"Got it, will do. Bye Rory."

Rory hung up the phone and thought again about her mom, and about her dad. There was no way she would've gone to see him, right? She knew Lorelai had a kind of reckless streak when it came to Christopher. In the past, she would not have found it that unusual if she did something crazy like go show up on an ex's door. But things were different now, right? Her mom was happy with Max.

And then there was this Luke thing. _I_ _s there a Luke thing?_ Her mom had hinted at the idea of dating Luke in the past, which Rory had quickly shut that prospect down. But now the idea made her think for few minutes. If Max weren't in the picture, how WOULD she feel about Mom and Luke together? Rory loved Luke, he was constant in her life, much more so than even her own dad. She contemplated this as she walked across the town square. She could hardly remember a time when Luke wasn't part of their lives. She had spent countless hours over the years with her books spread out over one of the tables in the diner. Luke was always there with a plate of fries or a slice of pie on the days she needed it most, even when she didn't have the money to pay for it. She smiled a little, remembering when she spent almost two weeks eating nothing but Luke's mashed potatoes when she was sick with the chicken pox. If she had to admit it, he had really been a father figure in her life.

Rory felt a twinge of guilt as she thought about this. She liked Max, she was looking forward to him being her stepdad, she would finally have someone to discuss literature with in Stars Hollow. He wasn't overly fatherly, but that was ok, she supposed. He was nice, and she could tell he really loved Lorelai. But her thoughts kept turning back to her favorite diner owner, food provider, and coffee purveyor. If she hadn't so vehemently against her mom dating Luke, would things be different now?

 _(What do you think of Luke?)_

 _(What do you mean?)_

 _(I mean…. do you think he's cute?)_

 _(You cannot date Luke.)_

 _(I said nothing about dating Luke)_

 _( If you date him, you'll break up, and we'll never be able to eat here again. )_

 _(Date Al from Pancake World, his food stinks!)_

She shook her head slightly, dismissing the thought and turned her eyes across the square, unsure if she wanted to head home yet. She was beginning to feel unsettled again about the whole wedding/Max/Luke/Dad mess in her head., and she didn't like it. She needed a distraction. She remembered that this was the night that Andrew kept the bookstore open late, and she smiled, turning in the direction of Stars Hollow Books.

It was close to nine when Andrew finally kicked her out of the bookstore. Rory headed out into the town square again, clutching her new books to her chest, excited about having some quiet time to read them once the wedding craziness was over and her mom and Max were off on their honeymoon. As she skirted around the gazebo towards home, she noticed her mom's jeep parked on the square across from the diner. But, the diner appeared closed, the lights were out and the closed sign was displayed in the door.

Maybe she was at Doose's, this was the time of night when Red Vines and marshmallows were in order. She headed toward the door of the market just in time to see the lights switch off. Rory approached Taylor as he stepped outside to lock the door.

"Hey Taylor, have you seen my mom tonight?" She asked.

Taylor turned and raised his eyebrows. "Well hello there Rory, no, I have not seen her this evening, but when you do see her please remind her I need to talk to her about some remaining issues from that engagement party of hers. We have strict rules about functions in the town square young lady, and I'm afraid you mother's soiree violated several town ordinances. We simply cannot let our standards slip, even for a joyous occasion such as…"

"Okaaaaay Taylor. Thanks, I will definitely tell her and you have an awesome evening. Okay Bye!" Rory cut him off and dashed away from the market, not giving him a chance to add anything further. She briefly considered walking over to the diner and knocking on the door to see if Luke knew where her mom was, but Taylor was eyeing her from the steps of the market, so she hurried in the direction of home.

She paused in the front yard of the Crap Shack for a few minutes to examine the chuppah, not knowing exactly that it was a chuppah, but made a mental note to research wedding traditions and arches. She ran her hand thoughtfully over the hand carved birds and flowers, lingering for a moment on one of the decorative posts. _Is this a goat? Why is there a hand carved goat on this thing?_ She pondered, and then made her way into the house.

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A while later, Rory was stretched out on her bed, absorbed in one of her new books. She only vaguely registered the sound of the front door and her mothers quick footsteps skipping towards her room. When the door to her room was flung open, Rory jumped, startled to see her mom's face, flushed with excitement. Lorelai rushed into the room in a frenzy and began grabbing clothes out of Rory's wardrobe.

"Pack!" Lorelai cried breathlessly as she emptied the contents of one of Rory's drawers onto the bed.

"What?" Rory sputtered, confused by Lorelai's manic movements. She had seen her mother get crazy like this a few times before, usually when her grandparents had done something particularly hurtful, or when her mother had done something slutty.

"Pack." Her mother repeated with more determination in her voice. _Okaaaayyyy… this is maybe more than that._

"What's going on?" Rory questioned, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. She had to get her mom to slow down and stop moving, then she could get some answers.

"We are hitting the road." More clothes hit the bed.

"What?" Rory watched in disbelief.

"Pack everything. Traveling light is for girls." Lorelai was on a mission, moving frantically around the room.

"What's going on here? Why are we hitting the road?"

"We haven't taken a road trip in forever and the weather is perfect!" Lorelai said excitedly, her smile sparkling, but not quite enough to convince Rory, who knew her all too well.

"We can't take a road trip. You're getting married this weekend." Rory stated flatly.

"Do you have my blue swimsuit?" Lorelai ignored her questioning as she rifled through her belongings.

"What about Max?" Rory demanded, not giving up. _What the heck? There are boxes of wedding favors in the living room and piles of cards and gifts_ ….Rory shook her head and tried to remain calm as she wondered if her mom having a psychotic break.

"Sunscreen, we need sunscreen." Lorelai muttered as she ransacked the products on top of her daughter's dresser.

Rory raised her voice a little in an attempt to stop the frenzy that was her mother. "Mom, stop!"

"What?"

Rory though she saw the tiniest bit of panic cross her mother's face. _Now I'm getting to it,_ she thought.

Rory figured she needed a more direct approach, she chose what to say next carefully, although she suspected she knew the answer to her next question already. "Are you and Max getting married?"

Lorelai stopped her manic movements and looked her in the eye. "No."

 _Oh God, this isn't happening,_ Rory thought."Why?"

Rory stared at her mother intently, watching as Lorelei's eyes filled with tears.

Her mom stared at her nervously and said in a small voice "Because…...I didn't want to try on my wedding dress every night."

Rory knew instantly then that her mother was coming undone. She wasn't sure why, but she knew with certainty this was a time to shore her up. There would be plenty of time to get to the bottom of all of this later. _This is what we do, we shore each other up,_ she thought. Her mind flashed to when she had dissolved into sadness when she and Dean broke up, and all the other times her mom was the strong one when she was overwhelmed by life. _My turn, time to move_. Hit it Gilmore! she thought firmly.

Rory whirled around toward her wardrobe, pulling out her duffel bag and taking over the manic task of packing, in hopes of calming her mom, who looked more fragile than she had ever seen her.

"Where are we going?"

Lorelai smiled weakly and nodded, and the Gilmore girls sprung into action.

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 _ **A/N- Who else's perspective might we need to hear? Maybe it's time to visit the mind of the Burger Boy himself!**_

 _ **Stay tuned for Chapter 3- Luke**_

 _ **Again, I'd love feedback if you are so inclined! It's my first fic and I'm having a ton of fun writing it!**_


	3. Chapter 3- Luke

_**A/N- Happy Thanksgiving everyone in the US! I hope your day was filled with friends, family, and good food! I was super nervous trying to write Luke, but I ended up loving it, especially the scene in the diner with Kirk and Babette. I hope you enjoy this third and final chapter!**_

 _ **Chapter 3- Luke**_

Luke was in a bit of a daze as he pulled his truck away from Lorelai's house. _Surely that didn't mean anything_ , he thought. His hand still burned from where she grasped it moments before. _What the hell, Lorelai. What the HELL!_ He impatiently slammed his hand on the steering wheel, willing the memory of her soft hand touching his out of his mind. He tried to replay their conversation in his head, her babbling a bunch of stuff about John and Yoko, when all he wanted to do was tell her that HE was supposed to be the one she was with, not that teacher guy. Instead he just rambled on vaguely about finding the right person, not changing people, something about French food. He shook his head to himself, resigned the the fact that he was just some dumb jerk who, like a fool, had spent weeks making her a hand carved chuppah. He spent literally all of his free time for the better part of a month making a gift for the woman he loved, who was getting ready to marry another man. _You are pathetic Danes_ , he thought to himself. _Totally pathetic._

Logically, he knew nothing would ever change between him and Lorelai. He was grateful for her friendship, and over the years he had learned to quell his longing for her into a dull ache in the pit of his stomach. Still, there were moments when his feelings for her rose to the surface of his consciousness, and then it became a searing pain that could not be soothed, would never be soothed, because she had never seen him that way. And now it had come to this, in just a few days she was marrying Max Medina.

 _What is the deal with that guy, anyway?_ He thought to himself, although he knew he was just being bitter. To be honest, Luke was never going to like any man in the Gilmore girls lives, both Lorelai's and Rory's. He could barely even stand that Dean kid, he'd just about killed him when they had broken up earlier that year. In Luke Danes mind no boy would ever be good enough for Rory, especially that bag boy who had already broken her heart once. But Lorelai approved, so he figured the kids couldn't be all bad, so he kept his opinion to himself.

Max, on the other hand, he just didn't get it. _What kind of guy reads three newspapers every day? Talk about high maintenance._ Reflecting on that morning the girls had come into the diner with Medina, the smug look on his face made Luke snort with disgust. He could almost feel that guy looking down on him, he had this patronizing way of talking. He remembered with disdain the night he met Medina at Lorelai's house. he had been about to tell Lorelai how he felt, after Rachel's departure, and then that guy interrupted, with his smug grin and way of talking about Lorelai, like he was marking his freaking territory.

 _(Well sure, you've got the coffee)_

 _(And she needs the coffee)_

 _(I'd count on a little later)_

 _Smug son of a bitch._ He didn't just talk down to Luke, he was like that with Lorelai and Rory too, which was even worse. And the way the girls catered to him and his high maintenance bullshit, it made him angry. Luke thought that the guy looked like he never really worked hard a day in his life. _Hell, he didn't even think to mow his girlfriend's lawn for her._ He chuckled a little at this thought, he could almost hear Lorelai call _(dirty!)_ if he dared say that out loud.

He had to face it, he and Max Medina were nothing alike. Luke frowned at that thought. Medina was someone that could slip right in to Hartford society, Lorelai's parents would love that. He remembered meeting Richard and Emily Gilmore at Rory's birthday party, and again when Richard had been in the hospital. Emily Gilmore, frankly, was terrifying. He recalled the waiting room of the hospital, Emily's icy stare on him as she grilled him about Lorelai.

 _(So what exactly is going on between the two of you?)_

 _(Nothing. Really. We're friends, that's it.)_

 _(You're idiots; the both of you)_

Yeah, he felt pretty sure the elder Gilmores would approve of a guy like Max Medina. He worked at a prestigious school. That sort of thing was important to people like the Gilmores, but what about Lorelai? Is that really the kind of guy she was into? Maybe that's what Lorelai wanted, a smooth, educated guy. Someone all GQ'd up with a lot of fancy books in his library, Luke guessed he probably listened to jazz too. He rolled his eyes, and shut his mind as he parked the truck in the alley behind the diner.

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Luke returned to work in the diner just in time for lunch service, giving Cesar a much needed hand. Waiting on customers and moving throughout the dining room was his safe space, he could operate by muscle memory and not think, and was just what he needed. Toward the end of the lunch rush, he made his way over to the table where Babette had just plopped down, fanning herself absentmindedly.

"What can I get for you Babette?"

"Oh, an iced tea would be great sugah, I gotta cool down. I just got outta Patty's adult yoga class, let me tell ya, oh the stretchy things I could do right now…. I gotta call Morey before it all snaps back into place, ya know?" Luke flushed red at this and quickly escaped to get her iced tea.

"So Luke, sugah, what's the deal with that arch thingy I saw you dragging off that big man truck of yours over at Lorelai's a little while ago?" Babette asked when he returned to her table with her drink.

"Oh, well, it's a chuppah. Just…. for her wedding you know…. it's no big deal" He looked down, not wanting to get into a big conversation about it with one of the town's biggest gossips.

"Well sweetie, that's a hell of a wedding gift! I walked over and took a look at thing up close and I gotta tell you, it's gorgeous!" She gushed as she fanned herself with her menu. "All those flowers and stuff! My god, there was even a goat! It musta taken you forever!" She paused, "What's with the goat, anyway?"

"Umm ….well, I don't know... there was this picture…" Luke mumbled his response, eager to end this converation.

At the mention of the goat, Kirk turned from his seat at the counter, napkin still tucked in his collar, and barged into the conversation. "I do believe I can be of some service in explaining the significance of the goat on a traditional wedding chuppah." He deadpanned in typical Kirk fashion.

"No thanks Kirk, no one asked you!" Luke growled.

"You see, traditionally, goats were often parts of a bride's dowry, to make the bride more attractive to her prospective husband." Kirk explained. "But many folklore tales attach a greater significance to the goat, symbolizing virility, reproduction, and abundance."

"Aw geez..." Luke squinted and pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers. _They don't make butterfly nets big enough for all the crazies in this town._

Kirk continued, ignoring Luke's glare. "That's why Mother forbids me from going to petting zoos, she says it could be to potent and she worries I might not be able to control my urges. It's roots come from Greek mythology where the goat suckles the God Zeus and his horns become the cornucopia…."

"SHUT UP KIRK!" Luke shouted at him.

Babette raised her eyebrows at this and grinned. "You trying to tell her something, sugah? I mean, you look like you are pretty virile they way you wear those jeans of yours. I mean, I'm sure Lorelai has noticed that your…"

"STOP! Enough, both of you! It was just a stupid picture!" Luke exploded. He had turned six shades of red by now. "Are you gonna order something?" He was impatient to escape back to the kitchen, away from the embarrassing madness playing out in his dining room.

"Sure, sure, honey. Just a turkey sandwich. But...ya got any goat cheese to put on that?" She laughed as Luke flushed even deeper and stomped away. Babette shook her head. "Crazy kids ain't using the sense God gave 'em" she muttered and turned her attention back to watching the goings on in the town square through the diner window.

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Luke worked the rest of the afternoon and through the dinner rush, sending Cesar home early so he could close up by himself, enjoying the peace and quiet. The sameness of his routine was calming to Luke, he meticulously scrubbed the prep surfaces in the kitchen, cleaned the grill, and then set about cleaning up the dining room. He had tired to think up an excuse to call Lorelai or stop by all evening, but Rory had called asking for her, so he knew she wasn't home. As he worked methodically from one table to the next wiping them down and turning off the little lamps he used at dinner, he felt a prickling sensation, as if he was being watched. He looked up and through the diner window he could see Lorelai standing across the street in front of her jeep, watching him with a strange expression on her face that he could not quite read.

His mind wanted simply to give her a nod and continue his work, but as was the usual when it came to Lorelai Gilmore, he moved involuntarily to the door to invite her in.

Luke stepped out onto the steps of the darkened diner, a dopey half smile on his face. He was tired and that made it harder to hide how happy he always was to see her. "Hey, you want to come in? I still have some coffee on…" He gestured toward the counter, hoping that he could have just a few more moments with her before she became another man's wife.

"I… ummm…. yeah sure, of course. I never say no to coffee." She made her way across the street and past him as he held the door for her. He flipped the sign on the door to 'CLOSED', just in case Kirk or any of the other town nut jobs tried to make an unwanted appearance.

He reached for her favorite mug, sliding it over to her while he searched his mind for what to say. "So, everything ok? You, uh, seemed kind of anxious earlier, and Rory called over here looking for you. She said you had been gone a long time, she was worried." He said as he filled her cup.

"Yeah, I was getting caught up on some work at the inn and lost track of time, I called and left her a message a few minutes ago." He watched her closely as she held both hands to her mug, studying the contents carefully. Nervous and not able to read her face, Luke reached for a rag and began cleaning the counter, taking refuge in the routine motion.

"But… you're ok, right?" He was more than a little unnerved by her silence. Lorelai Gilmore's babbling was legendary. She could talk a mile a minute and usually convince Luke to do just about anything, he was constantly surprised by the things she could talk him into. But he also knew that a quiet Lorelai Gilmore was the most dangerous.

Lorelai nodded, not looking up. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ok." He steeled himself for whatever was coming.

"Why did you make me that chuppah? I mean, I know what you said, but why, Luke?" Her voice sounded small and uncertain to Luke, showing a vulnerability that he hadn't been expecting.

He took a breath. "I told you why." One part of his brain screamed at him, _Now or never Danes, now or never! Christ she's right there in front of you! Tell her truth you stupid jerk!_

He sighed and added softly, "I just like to see you happy." The other side of his brain tried to shut him up. _Shit! Don't say anything else she getting married to another dude!_

After what seemed like an eternity, she looked up at him. Her sparkling blue eyes seemed a more brilliant blue, if that even possible. Luke was filled with affection for her and sadness for himself as he moved around the end of counter to stand in front of her. He opened his mouth to try and backtrack, to say goodnight and walk her to the door, when she reached for him. He felt the warmth in her hands from her coffee cup as she took both of his hands in hers. His breath hitched, _What is happening?_ Her smooth warm fingers felt small and fragile in his large roughed hands. He could not deny he heat he felt from touching her. She slowly lowered herself from the stool, and he thought she was getting ready to leave, but she didn't let go of his hands. Without realizing what he was doing, he slowly raised their joined hands as he stepped closer to her. _This is all I've ever wanted, this moment._ The four long years of desire for Lorelai Gilmore came down to this first kiss, if he could muster up the nerve to actually do it. He wanted to touch her skin so badly but worried if he released her hands it would break the spell. He took his chances, moving his hands to her waist, brushing the line of skin above the waistband of her jeans, a fire igniting deep within him. _Oh my God..._ he wasn't sure if he said that out loud. He knew he was near the point of no return so he spoke to give her an opportunity to escape.

"Lorelai…." He whispered. She drew a sharp breath and paused. He was about to pull back, but then he heard her voice, breathless against his lips.

"Luke… do you…I mean…."

The sound of her whispering his name was all it took for any resolve he had left to shatter, he gave himself over to what he wanted so badly for so long. He leaned in just enough to brush her lips with is, testing her reaction, and he was completely lost. His mind exploded in disbelief as he felt her lean in to deepen the kiss. He lingered for just a moment, savoring the connection, _Oh dear God, yes._ Unsure of himself, he gently stroked her lower lip with his tongue to ask more more of her, and to his astonishment she opened her lips to him. He felt her tongue swirling around his, and fought to control himself. He felt her warmth as her torso pressed against him, his mind reeling as she slid her hands up his chest until her arms were around his neck. Her perfect skin felt hot under his touch as he moved his hands in circles up under her shirt, he moved up her rib cage. When his thumbs brushed the lace on the underside of her bra, he heard a soft moan escaped her lips. His need to feel her closer made him slide his hands to her back, then her shoulders and he pulled her in to him, and he felt her gasp. Her fingers played with the curls at the nape of his neck until….. the scratch of her diamond engagement ring on his neck yanked him back into reality. He pulled back suddenly, startling her.

"I'm… I'm sorry." He sputtered, stepping away from her quickly.

"What…. no! Oh my God, Luke! _I'm_ sorry! What am I even doing here?" She sputtered as she backed away from him. He couldn't speak but could only watch as she wildly flitted about, gathering her wits, and her purse as she rambled on…. "I have to go…. I have to…. I have to go!" Lorelai burst for the door, the bells jangling loudly as she yanked it open.

The sudden sound was enough to jerk Luke from the place where he stood, still breathing heavily, frozen by the realization of what had just happened. He followed her to the door but she was already halfway across the street by the time he reached it. "Lorelai… wait!" he called after her as she ran to her jeep, flinging the door open as she quickly climbed in and gunned the engine.

Luke could only stand there on the steps, watching as the jeep peeled out of the town square, the retreating red taillights fading into the darkness as he realized he had completely blown it. _Shit_ , he thought as he retreated into the diner. _Shit, shit SHIT, you've really stepped in it now, Danes._

He cursed himself over and over as he locked up, his footsteps heavy on the stairs as he made his way up to his apartment. He stood in the middle of the room for a long moment, breathing deeply as he composed himself. _Well, you can consider THAT friendship officially over. Well done, you idiot._

He pulled a beer from the fridge, opening it as he sank down onto the couch, thinking about the unbelievable turn this day had taken. Luke knew that in all likelihood, his friendship with Lorelai was ruined. How could things go back to the way they were, after that? He wondered if Lorelai had felt the same fire in their brief encounter as he had. He was simultaneously berating himself for being so stupid, but also reveling in the memory of the smell of her shampoo, the feeling of the perfect skin of her stomach twitching under his touch, and the taste of coffee on her lips. He tipped his beer back for a long drink, knowing this was going to be a very long night.

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Luke didn't remember when he fell asleep, but it was sometime during his third beer and the seventh inning of the Red Sox game. He woke just after five AM, his neck stiff and his back sore from his position on the sofa, and a dull ache in his head from the beer Like many mornings, he had a fuzzy memory of dreaming about Lorelai again, and all things he did with her, to her. He had many dreams about her over the years, and some of them haunted him for days. Luke Danes prided himself on being a solid, stand up guy. But he was still a man, and this grown man betrayed his everyday controlled demeanor when he dreamed of Lorelai Gilmore. Sometimes, after a particularly vivid dream of the two of them together, she would come bouncing into the diner, and he couldn't even look her in the eye, especially if Rory was with her. He would just grumble something about coffee being terrible for them and escape into the storeroom to calm himself, his heart racing and his face flushed with the memory of her in his dream, in his bed.

His brain pulled further from sleep, and suddenly events of the night before came flooding back into his reality. _My god, I kissed Lorelai Gilmore. I kissed her, and then she ran off._ He groaned as he slowly pulled himself up, rolling his stiff neck and stretching. Glancing at the clock, he shook his head, clearing it as he readied himself to open the diner.

He made his way over to the sink, pouring himself a tall glass of water and shuffled over to the window, surveying the deserted town square as he drank his water in large gulps. This was Stars Hollow as few knew it, the calmness of the empty square, the quiet before the crazy. This was how Luke liked to start his day, quiet, alone, and with a routine. He just had to put this all behind him, go back to the way things were, it was safer this way. Alone in his apartment, alone behind his counter….. _safe_.

He started to turn from the window but caught the sight from the corner of his eye. _That can't be….oh shit, yes it is._ Lorelai's jeep rounded the corner of the square, stopping at the new ridiculous traffic light that Taylor had installed a few days earlier. He couldn't be sure, but from his vantage point at the window it appeared that the back of the jeep was stuffed to the roof with belongings. _Where the hell would she be going at this hour?_ He thought to himself. _Is Max with her? Where is Rory?_

A thought occurred to him suddenly. He wondered if she would park the jeep and come in for coffee, he felt like she might if she saw him getting ready to open. He hurried down the stairs, smiling, hopeful to see her blue eyes shining at him as she begged for her for her daily fix.

But by the time reached the diner the jeep was nowhere in sight.

Luke sighed as he gazed over the empty square, and turned to start the first pot of coffee.

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 ** _A/N- So that was so fun to write! Although I meant for it to just be three perspectives on the same day, I sort feel like I left it on an ASP-like angsty note. Not sure how I feel about that. I hate ending it with Luke sad._**

 ** _This was not intended to be a long multi-chapter story, but I have a short epilogue swirling around in my head to maybe end on a more hopeful note...so I'm not marking this as complete just yet._**

 ** _Please review if you are so inclined, I do appreciate feedback. Remember it's my first published fic so be gentle with me ;)_**


	4. Epilogue- Sookie

_**A/N: Okay, I couldn't leave Luke feeling so sad like I did at the end of Chapter 3, so I decided to add a little epilogue a day or two later to spark a little hope for our favorite diner man. I tweaked the dialogue from the OC, because I can :)**_

 _ **It was fun to try and get in Sookie's head a little- she just makes me so damn happy!**_

 **Epilogue- Sookie**

Sookie St. James sat at Lorelai's usual stool at the counter of Luke's Diner, sipping her coffee sighing and mentally mourning the loss of Clyde, the five tiered masterpiece wedding cake she had made for Lorelai and Max's wedding. She thought about the call she had gotten from Lorelai the day before, telling her about the cancelled engagement and shook her head sadly. She couldn't honestly say she was totally surprised, especially after the bizarre conversation they had at the inn a few days ago. Sookie frowned a little, hoping her friend wasn't too angry with her for bringing up the whole 'Luke is so crazy about you" topic again. _But it would be so gosh darn fantastic if they could just both see it at same time!_ Seriously, she sometimes couldn't believe someone as sharp as Lorelai could live in such denial.

Sookie pondered this as she thought about the days leading up to Lorelai and Rory's impromptu road trip. It seemed to her that in the past few weeks her best friend had lost the happy spark in her eyes, especially when the topic of the wedding or Max was brought up. Still, she hated to see her friend unhappy, so she hoped a few days away would bring the fire back to Lorelai, and give her some much needed perspective. _Oh! Chocolate! Chocolate helps bring things into perspective!_ She made a mental note to make sure she had plenty of chocolate espresso cookies ready for when the girls returned. She ran through the inn's pantry list in her head, making sure she had enough espresso powder. Her thoughts happily turned to other cheerful things like her new stuffed zucchini blossom recipe she was working on.

Her cell phone buzzed from her purse. Ignoring Luke's 'No Cell Phones' rule was risky today given the crankier than usual mood Luke was in lately, but when she peeked at the screen and saw Lorelai's number flashing, she figured she have to risk it. She pulled the phone from her bag and pushed the talk button to answer.

Lorelai's voice sounded chipper. "Hey Sookie, it's me."

"Hey sweetie, how's the trip going?"

"It's fine. Where are you?"

Sookie glanced over her shoulder. "Luke's. Got a nice little show going on here."

She smirked at the scene unfolding in the diner. Kirk was sitting at a table with an empty cup in from of him. Luke towered over the table, glaring menacingly at him. Sookie held up her cell phone so Lorelai can hear them argue. She knew Lorelai always appreciated a good Luke rant, and an argument with Kirk would never disappoint.

"You're been sitting there for two hours." Luke growled.

"I just want a little more coffee." Kirk replied.

"You've had eight refills."

"You know, in France, when you sit and order, you can have the table as long as you want."

"I bet you know what I'm gonna say next." Luke replied. Sookie grinned at this, she could see Luke's anger rising.

"That we're not in France?" Kirk asked, uncertainty in his voice.

"Give or take a profanity." Luke snapped back at him.

For once in his life, Kirk backed off, seemingly aware that Luke was in a foul mood. "Fine, I'll go. Can I have my check?" Luke slapped the check that was already on the table loudly for emphasis. Sookie turned her attention back to her phone.

"So, um, how's the spreading of the news going?" Lorelai asked, a little too brightly.

"Well, it worked just like you wanted, with one notable exception." she relied, nervous to bring up the topic of Luke again, given their last conversation.

"Who... what?"

Sookie looked sadly over her shoulder again at Luke. "He's just such a loner lately, the news hasn't gotten to him."

The showdown in the dining room continued. "Is there anyway to speed this up Kirk?" Luke grumbled impatiently.

"Sorry. I'm trying to figure out the tip and I've always been terrible with math. What's six percent of four forty three?" Luke glared and snatched the bill from Kirk, turning back toward the register.

It seemed like Lorelai hesitated on the other end of the call, for just a moment. "Could you just tell him now Sook, so I can cross this off my list?"

"Well, I…ugh, he's coming over, hang on." Sookie looked at Luke and greeted him cautiously, "Hey Luke?"

"Yeah?" He grumbled back as he rang up Kirk's check. Man, did that guy know how to put on a scowl or what?

Sookie tried to keep her tone light, but her voice shook a little nervously. _Darn, I am so not good at this!_ "Have you heard the latest news, kinda sad, Lorelai and Max?"

"What about them?" His voice even crabbier, impatient for her to get on with it.

 _Ok, time to just out with it._ "The wedding's off." She said intently, studying him for a reaction.

Luke's head snapped up to attention. "What? What happened?" He looked at Sookie in disbelief. _Oh man, he has it for her so bad!_ She thought, fighting back a smile.

"You know, I don't really know. It was all kinda sudden." She lowered her voice to whisper, gesturing to the phone in her hand. "This is actually her now."

At the realization Lorelai was on the phone, his face softened and his eyes warmed. "Oh, well, uh, tell her I'm sorry. That's tough." Sookie could hear the affection in his voice. _Awwww… he really is such a nice man._

"He says he's sorry." She relayed his message to Lorelai, still watching Luke's face as he digested this new information.

"Thanks." Sookie could hear the relief in her friend's voice. "Talk to you later. Bye."

"Hey Lorelai? Hang on a sec, would you?" Sookie glanced around, Luke had turned and had begun busying himself at the coffee machine, so she slipped out the door onto the front steps of the diner to talk to Lorelai privately.

"What is is it, Sook?" Lorelai sounded impatient on the phone.

"Well, you know, you haven't really told me about…. you know, the whole thing with Max. So, what happened there?"

Lorelai sighed, "Sookie, I don't know, you know? I just, I was so excited about getting married, but I never really stopped to think about BEING married. To Max. Being married to Max. Max in my house, all the time, with me and Rory. Him being her stepfath… he's hasn't really been…." She stopped. Sookie could tell she didn't really know what to say next.

"It's okay honey, I get it. You don't have to say anything else." Sookie said sympathetically. She paused, then went on. "But…. can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead, Sook."

"This sudden revelation, did it have anything to do with that conversation we had at the inn a few days ago? About you and a maybe a certain flannel-wearing-coffee-brewing-goat-carver?" Sookie asked in an over the top teasing voice.

"JESUS Sookie! Is he right there? You are in the diner, right? Can he hear you?" Lorelai sounded panicked.

"No, no, sweetie, I stepped outside. But come on Lorelai…..you're thinking about it aren't you? Him, the chuppah, the goat...you know?" Sookie gushed excitedly, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively even though Lorelai could not see her expression. The phone line was quiet for a moment. "Lorelai? You still there honey?"

"Yeah, I'm still here. Hey Sook?" Lorelai's voice was calmer now. "Do me a favor. Can you give Luke a message for me?"

"Sure honey, anything." Sookie listened carefully to Lorelai's message, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "Yeah, umm, sure ok. Bye bye." She hung up the phone, looking at it curiously as she made her way back into the diner. She returned to her seat at the counter, watching Luke with interest as he rang up another customer's ticket.

"So um, Luke? Lorelai asked me to give you message."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" He asked nonchalantly. Sookie could totally tell he was trying to look less interested than he was.

"She said to tell you, and I want to make sure I get this right, that she will be home the day after tomorrow, and that she promises she will never, ever try to make you eat French food." She frowned, not understanding what the message meant.

"Yeah?" A broad smile slowly spread across Luke's face. He stood there grinning like a kid for a long moment, then grabbed a fresh pot of coffee from the machine and went straight over to Kirk's table.

 _Well ok, that was weird,_ Sookie thought. _What's wrong with French food?_

"What's this?" Kirk asked suspiciously as Luke filled his cup.

"Refill number nine!" Luke declared, an almost jovial tone in his voice.

"I thought you said I had to go."

"You can hang a bit."

"Really?"

"Welcome to France, where none of the food is French. Coffee's on the house too." _Holy crap did Luke just SMILE at Kirk?_ Sookie smirked again and shook her head in disbelief. She had no idea what the reference to French food meant, but clearly it meant something to Luke. _Glad I could brighten your day Luke,_ she mused happily. _Gosh, I wonder what it is about French food has gotten him so chipper all of a sudden?_

Clearly unsettled by this act of kindness from Luke, Kirk responded, "Thanks. Or should I say gracias."

"In fact, everyone's coffee's on the house today!" Luke declared, and he moved around the dining room with renewed energy, happily filling coffee cups and complimenting his customers.

 _Oh yeah, he really has it bad._ Sookie giggled internally as she sipped her coffee, savoring it and the possibilities she strongly suspected lay in the days ahead. _This is going to be good._

 _777777_

 _ **So that's it- Thanks for the kind encouragement and reviews!**_

 _ **Thanks DSLeo for the suggestion that it end on a happy note. That really prompted me to end it this way :)**_

 _ **Thank you also- guest reviewer Nancy and one of my fanfic faves Savvyliterate for making me not feel bad about a little Max bashing. I'm glad I'm not alone thinking he was condescending and kind of gross.**_


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